Heavy duty tiedown buckle with remotely operable safety tension release



Aug. 28, 1962 F. L. DAVIS 3,050,799

HEAVY DUTY TIEDOWN BUCKLE WITH REMOTELY OPERABLE SAFETY TENSION RELEASEFiled March 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FRANK L. DA V/S ATTOP/VEAug. 28, 1962 F. DAVIS 3,

HEAVY DUTY TIEDOWN BUCKLE WITH REMOTELY OPERABLE SAFETY TENSION RELEASEFiled March 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l6 7 I :1, I

T7 1 I I I l l l '1: X:' I l I k: Q. E LE 3 l ,.i: J 5 w 37 41 3742 A 799 40 Ja al; 4a 7 8 Q x3 44 7 X4 7? E /5 4 T i INVENTOR. %p 51 25 FkA/vkL. DAV/5 BY V i T 16 W 11 A770 /v a means Patented Aug. 28, lSSZ3,950,799 HEAVY DUTY TEDDWN BUCKLE WITH REMOTE- LY OPERABLE SAFETYTENSIDN RELEASE Frank L. Davis, 12907 7th Ave, College Point, N.Y. FiledMar. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 93,867

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-68) The invention herein disclosed relates totiedown gear of the type disclosed in the F. L. Davis Patent No. 2,867,-466 of January 6, 1959.

This gear is designed for holding heavy loads under tension and this,because of the tensioned connections, has required that great care beexercised in releasing such loads.

Important objects of the present invention are to make it possible tosafely and surely release the tensioned load at a distance from thebuckle and other tensioned parts of the tiedown equipment.

These objects have been accomplished in part by the provision of a lockfor the tensioning lever of the buckle which can be operated from adistance by a pull lanyard and by constructing this look so that it willin the releasing pull on the lanyard operate as a cam to positivelyrelease the lever from its tensioning condition.

Other special objects of the invention are to provide a powerful webtensioning buckle construction which can be automatically latched in theweb tensioning position by the simple act of operating the lever in theweb tensioning direction and then be positively locked in that relationand which, in releasing, will first be unlocked and after that the latchmechanism will be positively released.

Other desirable objects and novel features of the invention are setforth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specificationillustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structurehowever may be modified and changed as regards the immediateillustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention ashereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a side elevation of one of these tiedowns withthe buckle in the fully open, release position.

FIG. 2 is a broken part sectional plan view showing parts in the samerelation.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the buckle in the closed and lockedweb tensioning position.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of these parts in the same relation.

FIG. 5 is a broken longitudinal sectional view on substantially theplane of line 5-5 of FIG. 4 with parts locked holding the web undertension.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged broken, sectional detail showing the lanyardpulled to withdraw the locking slide and rock the hooked latch to thereleasing position.

The buckle illustrated is of generally the same design as that of thepatent mentioned, in that it embodies a buckle frame and a pivoted webtensioning lever.

In this illustration the web 7 is made fast at one end by being loopedover a pin 8 on the free end of a shackle 9 pivoted at 10 to a lever 11which is pivoted at 12 to one end of the buckle frame 13. The web isextended from the anchorage point 8 in the form of a loop about a rungor bar 14 of one hook 15 and thence over the bottom plate 16 of thebuckle frame, in a loop about the rung 17 of the companion hold-downhook 18 from whence it passes in the form of a loop 19 about a cross pin20 on the tension lever and thence out the end of the frame in a freesurplus end portion 21.

In the open condition of the buckle illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 withthe tensioning lever 11 lifted and pivoted away from the frame the webis free to be pulled by the handle end portion 21 to take up slack afterthe end hooks have been engaged with suitable anchorages.

Also in this open condition the buckle may be shifted as a whole in onedirection or the other to locate it at a most appropriate or convenientpoint for tiedown purposes.

To tension the gear down over the load, after slack has been taken up bypull on the'free end 21 of the web .it is only necessary to swing thetensioning lever from the FIG. 1 over to the FIG. 3 position. In thismovement the lever, pivoting about the center 12 will carry the pivotcenter 18, constituting in effect the fixed end of the Web, in a webtensioning direction, past pivot center 12, operating as a toggle.

Also in this web tensioning movement the lever Will carry the loop 19 ofwebbing on cross pin 20 over and beyond pivot center it), snubbing andbinding the web in firmly held position about the pin 12 carried by thebuckle frame, further binding and holding the web against any slippage.

To facilitate initial adjustment and smooth web tensioning action thefulcrum pin 12 about which the double run of web is looped may carry aroller sleeve 22 to serve as a pulley for the double run of webbing.

The bottom plate 16 of the frame may be integral with the side walls 23of the frame.

A top plate 24 is provided for this end of the frame and this plate isshown as fastened in place by having spaced side walls 25 secured overthe sides of the frame as by rivets 26, welds or the like.

This top plate forms an anchorage for the web tensioning lever and thelatter is interlocked therewith by a latch plate 27 having dependenthooks 28 at the sides pivotally engaged over a pin 29 secured betweenthe parallel sides 34) of the lever.

The hooks 28 are shown as having inclined cam edges 31 to ride over theouter edge of the top plate 24 and a spring 32 coiled about the pivotpin 29 and engaging the underside of the hook plate at one end 33 andengaged about a cross pin 34 at the opposite end serves to tension theplate in the hook engaging direction. Pivotal movement of the plate inthis spring impelled direction is limited by engagement of shoulders 35on the dependent side portions of the plate against the cross pin 34,FIG. 5.

In movement of the lever in the web tensioning direction, that is fromthe FIG. 1 to the FIGS. 3 and 5 position, the cams 31 of the springimpelled hooks will snap over the edge of the holding plate 24, thus toautomatica'lly secure the lever in the web tensioned condition.

To positively lock the lever in this relation a locking plate 36 isslidably mounted on the latch plate by rivets 37 extending through slot38 and holding a spring retainer plate 39' in place on the lockingslide.

In the securing position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. the nose of the lockingslide projects over the top of a cross pin 40 extending between thesides 30 of the lever.

The locking slide 36 has inward movement on the hook plate 27 suflicientto carry it inward over the top of cross pin 40, as in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5,and outward clear of the cross pin 40, as in FIG. 6.

To effect release of both the lock slide and hook plate from a remotepoint, at a safe distance from the tensioned buckle, a lanyard or pullconnection 41 is provided in the present illustration having-a directconnection with the outer end of the locking slide at 42 and a slackconnec tion 43 with the outer end of the hook plate at 44, which willtake up and apply a releasing pull to the hook plate after the lockingslide has first been pulled back from engagement over the cross pin 40.

This sequential operation of the tension releasing lan- .3 yard will beclear from consideration of FIGS. and 6.

This construction makes it safe for an operator. to release the loadunder tension by a simple pull on the lan- 'tripping the lock mechanismby the lanyard it is contemplated that there may be times or conditionswhen positiveseparation may bedesirabler V In the illustration this isprovided for by extending the inner end of the hook plate 27, asindicated at 45, FIG.

.6, to'act as a cam engageable with the top plate '24 to positively liftor force the lever away from the frame.

As thehook plate 27 rotates about the center 29 by which it is pivotedbetween the sides of lever 11, the extended edge portion 45 of thisplate will reach and engage the top of plate 24 on the frame enablingthis plate to act as a lever for positively lifting the tensioning lever11.

The lanyard 4143 may be used to swing the plate about center 29 thefurther extent required to press the cam portion down on the top plate24. Thus, after unlocking and unhooking plate 27 in respect to theframe, this plate may be further utilized as a lever to positively liftor start the tensioning lever upward in a tension releasing direction.

The buckle, including the web tensioning lock and release mechanism, isof simple sturdy construction, with few, rugged parts, not subject towear or getting out of order.

What is claimed is: Y

1. Remotely operable tension releasing tiedown buckle comprising thecombination of a buckle frame having spaced sides connected at one endby a cross member, a web tensioning lever pivoted to the opposite end ofsaid frame and carrying means by which a web connected therewith may betensioned in pivoting movement of said lever down over the frame, alatch on the free end of.

said lever spring tensioned to effect interlocking engagement with saidcross member in the web tensioning movement of the lever down over theframe, a locking slide on said latch for locking said latch againstreleasing movement, shiftable into and out of engagement with the framefor locking the latch in the holding position or unlocking the latch,and a pull connection extending from said locking slide and from saidlatch for unlocking the slide and shifting the unlocked latch to releasethe lever from its web tensioning position on the frame, said latchbeing in the form of a plate pivoted to rock on the tensioning lever andbeing provided'with a cam portion extended to engage said cross memberin the pivotal movement of said plate to thereby impart lifting movementof said web tensioning lever in respect to the frame. 7 y

2. Remotely operable tension releasing tiedown buckle comprising thecombination of a buckle frame having.

spaced sides connected at one end by a cross member, a web tensioninglever pivoted to the opposite end of said I frame and carrying means bywhich a web connected therewith may be tensioned'in pivoting movement ofsaid lever down over the frame, a latch on the free end of said lever,spring tensioned to elfect interlocking engagement with said crossmember in the'web tensioning movement of the lever down over the frame,a locking slide on said latch for locking said latch against releasingmovement,

shiftable into and out of engagement with the frame for locking thelatch in the holding position or'unlocking the V latch, .and a pullconnection. extending from said locking slide and from said latch forunlocking the slide and shifting the unlocked latch to release the leverfrom its web tensioning position on the frame, said web tensioning leverhaving parallel side portions and said latch being in the form of aplate pivoted between the side portions of said lever and havingdependent hooks engageable with said cross member on the frame.

3. Remotely operable tension releasing tiedown buckle comprising thecombination of a buckle frame having spaced sides connected at one endby a cross member, a

web tensioning lever pivoted to the opposite end of said frame andcarrying means by which a web connected therewith may be tensioned inpivoting movement of said lever down over the frame, a latch on the freeend of said lever, spring tensioned to effect interlocking engagementwith said cross member in the web tensioning movement of the lever downover the frame, a locking slide on said latch for locking said latchagainst releasing movement, shiftable into and out of engagement withthe frame for locking the latch in the holding position or unlocking thelatch, and a pull connection extending from said locking slide and fromsaid latch for unlocking the slide and shifting the unlocked latch torelease the lever from its web tensioning position on the frame, saidcross member being in the form of a fixed plate connecting the sides ofthe frame and said spring tensioned latch having dependent hooksengageable over the edge of said fixed plate and having a cam portionextended for engaging said fixed plate to effect lifting of said webtensioning lever in re- References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,852,827 Arnold Sept. 23, 1958 2,864,644 MarryattDec. 16, 1958 2,867,406 Davis Jan. 6, 1959 2,873,495 Love Feb. 17, 19592,997,761 Davis Aug. 29, 1961

